Improvement in non-freezing rain-leads



nited tatet @wat @mira JAMES F. McNEE,-OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND MARTIN McNEE, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 89,677, dated .Ma/y 4, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN NON-FREEZIIIN' G- RAIN-LEADS.

4. The Schedule referred to in these Lett-exs Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it ma/y conce/m.-

Be it known that I, J AMES F. MGNEE, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented a new and improved Rain- Spout; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,V and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being 'had to the accompanying drawings, form-ing part of this specification.

The drawing represents a central vertical section of my invention. A Y.

rhe object ofthis invention is to prevent the bursting of rain-spouts by the formation of ice within them in cold weather.

It consists in providing the ordinary rain-spout with an interiorpipe, which connects with the ordinary steam orhot-air heaters of dwellings and other buildlugs;

The pipe passes the whole length ofthe spout, and

projects a short distance above the gutter, and is surmounted with a conicalcap, which is raised above the end of the pipe by4 projections, for the purpose of permitting the escape of the/h otha/irbnsteanrfvapor, which latter is deflected, by means of the cap, down upithe junction of the rain-spout and the gutter, thereby preventing the formation of ice at that point.

The lower end of the rain-'spout is formed with a chamber, somewhat larger in diameter than the spout proper; and this chamber is provided with a removable door, for the purpose of conveniently obtaining access to the chamber, to dig out the ice formed therein, when, for any reason, the hot air orV steam -is not convenientlyobtained, or has been shut off or interrupted.

`Heretofore these chambers were closed boxes, and the ice formed therein, not being accessible, caused the bursting of the chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, the spout is shown at A, B being the contained steam or hot-air pipe, C, the conical cap, and D, the gutter. Y

a' a are radial projections, serving to keep the pipe centrally within the spout.

b b bare the projections from the pipe, which support the cap, and permit the escape of the steam-vapor or hot air therefrom.

E is the chamber, having the removable ldoor G,

which may bev fastened in place by means of screws or catches, as shown at d d, or by any other means which will permit it to be readily removed.

H is the discharge-opening of the chamber.

In practice, a screw-plug or cock may be placed upon the lowest point of the heat-pipe, for the purpose of discharging the condensed water collecting within the said pipe.

This cock may be connected, by a. rod, or other suitable means, with the interior of the building, or, at

least, with the exterior of the chamber, where it will be readily accessible.

By means of my invention, the bursting of rainspouts will be prevented, without any additional expense above the rst costeil putting in the heatingpipe, as but little steam or hot air will suffice, even in the coldest weather, to prevent the formation of ice in the spout; and the-,quantity of steam or hot air so used would not appreciably increase the consumption of fuel, as a certain amount of waste steam is often discharged into the chimney-tine, or elsewhere.

The pipe B is somewhat exaggerated in size in the drawing, as it would not be, in practice, larger than the common half-inch gas-pipe.

I am aware that pipes for the transmission of iluids, consisting of an air-chamber'surrounding a Huid-conduit pipe, have heretofore been used; and I am also aware that frozen Water-pipes have been thawed by placing the same in semi-cylindrical or concentric chambers, through which steam or hot water is passed; but, as these form no part of my invention, I do not, therefore, claim them.

I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The chamber E, having the removable door G and discharge-openingH, in combination with the spout A and interior pipe B, as herein described, for

the purpose specified.

2. The rain-spout, constructed, as described, of the vertical spout A, formed with the enlarged chamber E at its base, and containing the pipe B, provided with the conical cap O, all arranged as described, for the purpose specified.

' JAMES F. MONEE. Witnesses: L. O. BRYAN, H. HAYDocK. 

